When it comes to planning your social marketing strategy, social videos are one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle.
The thing is, though, that understanding that videos are important for your campaign is only half the battle. Ask any video production company worth its salt about it, and they’ll agree that learning to use video marketing the right way is essential for you to achieve your goals sooner rather than later.
So, in this piece, we’ll break down some actionable social video stats, tell you what they mean, and how you could use them in order to improve your social marketing campaigns.
Let’s get started!
1. Lockdown favors videos
A global survey held in 2020 unveiled that 70% of people around the world were using their phones more as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak. Since mobile phone users are now spending more hours of their lives attached to their devices, this stat reveals the increased potential impact of social video marketing.
If you haven’t done it yet, 2021 is the perfect year for you to start adding social videos to your marketing strategy, as now more than ever people are connected to social media 24/7!
2. We love video content, and we love social media
We all know that watching videos is an effective and easy way of digesting information. According to Forbes, when planning a purchase, 80% of millennials consider videos they’ve watched as crucial advice for making a decision. And where do they watch those videos? Your guess was right: on social media, of course.
Videos as hauls and reviews are purchase driving for millennials who are actively looking for information about a product they want to buy. If they like and trust the content creator behind the product, it’s more likely they’re going to click on the “subscribe/follow” button and buy the product right away!
3. It’s all about the holy trinity
As you may probably know by now, social videos are meant to be shared on social networks (shocking, right?). “But which social media should I choose?” is often a valid concern as well!
According to Social Media Today, it’s all about YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, since those are the top three purchase driving platforms. And btw, in terms of reach potential, YouTube is leading the way by having over 2 billion logged-in user visits every month!
How a social video is built depends on the social network it’s shared on, so whether you choose YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram (or all of them, why not!?), make sure your content is optimized for every platform you’re on.
For example, YouTube tends to promote longer videos, mainly vlogs. So breaking the 10 minutes mark is crucial for this platform. On the other hand, extended content isn’t as important for Instagram’s audiences, which tends to favor shorter videos.
An important aspect on the platform, though, is to pay attention to the aspect ratio (16:9 if it’s a story, 1:1 if it’s a feed post), as Instagram tends to favor videos that feel tailor-made for them.
4. The shorter, the better
Nowadays, people tend to watch videos on their phones when they’re waiting somewhere or on their way to work or to school. They can even watch more than one video when they’re waiting for the bus to arrive! Recent surveys showed that 66% of people prefer short videos of products or services.
So, when it comes to social videos, it’s crucial to keep your video content short. Try and stay under the 30-second mark for most of your social videos. Keep in mind that after that amount of time, people start to lose interest and might stop watching your content. So remember, always make your statement and leave in the shortest time possible for better results!
5. Animated social videos are on the go
A recent survey unveiled that 65% of people are visual learners, and 90% of the information that gets to our brains is visual. And what’s more visually stimulating and distinctive than your average social video? You guessed right: animated social videos.
Animated social videos could be a little bit of everything, from explainers to commercials. So you can get creative and decide which of these options are good for your social marketing strategy.
Now, the ins and outs of making animated videos can be a bit daunting at first, that’s ok! But animation tools and services have come a long way over the past decade. So, with a bit of research and a clear understanding of your audience and objectives, animated social videos are a tool you shouldn’t ignore.
6. How-to videos are here for good
As we mentioned before, social videos can be a little bit of everything, explainers, commercials, culture… But when it comes to capturing the attention of a social media audience, how-to videos take the cake!
It’s crucial to know that a whopping 90% of people consider it useful to watch how-to videos while developing an actual project.
When a company gives away information on how to use their product or service for the better, clients pretty much appreciate it across the board. The same happens when it comes to content creators: if your audience feels like you’re helping them in any way, they’re most likely going to feel grateful and click that follow or like button!
So keep that in mind when you’re planning your next social video!
7. Video marketing equals increased website traffic
Last but not least, it’s important to highlight that 87% of marketers say videos have increased their website traffic. For some businesses nowadays, you should also consider that the main traffic driving channel is, indeed, social media (even more than some search engines!).
Whether you own a company or you’re a content creator, the main goal of making social videos is attracting traffic to your website or profile in different social platforms. So, the more people are attracted to your website, the more potential clients are seriously considering buying your product, using your platform, hiring your service, or consuming your content.
By creating social videos, you could reach this goal easily, as they tend to entertain, inspire, and inform in a pretty short amount of time.
And no, it’s not magic, it’s just social marketing!
Summing up…
We can all agree on saying that 2020 was a hell of a year for everyone… But by reading this piece, we hope you’ve found a few ways in which social video could help you improve your marketing efforts.
Social videos are on the rise in 2021, that’s a fact. But as the stats we discussed here today illustrated, not all social videos are equal!
Start by taking these stats and using them to inform your own social video strategy; in terms on what to produce and how to distribute it. Do it right, and we promise you won’t be disappointed with the results 😉
